Another Warning Shot Across The Bows of the U*U Ship of Fools as captained by UUA President Bill Sinkford. . .
Without Prejudice?
It is 11:20ish a.m. Monday January 23, 2006. I just got off the phone after a brief conversation with Julie Shaw, the new assistant to UUA President Rev. William G. Sinkford aka Bill Sinkford. My phone call was to inquire about some emails that I had sent to President Sinkford in the last month or so that had specifically requested that he enter into dialogue with me about what he once described as my "obviously deep concerns". . . I have not yet heard from President Bill Sinkford nor have I even received so much as an acknowledgement of receipt of the emails that I sent to him, even though I specifically requested an acknowledgement of receipt in those emails.
Julie Shaw was polite and professional and told me that, although she was very new to the job as UUA President Bill Sinkford's personal assistant, she had "processed" those emails to the best of her ability to do so. That indicates to me that UUA President Rev. William G. Sinkford almost certainly was aware of the emails that I had sent to his attention recently but willfully chose not to respond to them, even in terms of the minimal official acknowledgement of receipt that was requested in them.
I made it very clear to Julie Shaw that I expect UUA President Bill Sinkford to speak with me in person on the phone by the end of this week, and politely warned her that if he fails or refuses to to so that he will be open to more strong public criticism from yours truly. This recent Emerson Avenger post was but one warning shot across the bow of the U*U Ship of Fools that resulted from UUA President Sinkford's sincere ignorance of my earlier and friendlier email hailings. . .
Rev. David O. Rankin's little red tract titled 'What Do UUs Believe' is one of my favorite UU tracts. I strongly agree with the purported UU principles and ideals that are expressed in that UU tract even though, most regrettably, the well documented behavior of many of the UUs that I know, including that of UUA President Bill Sinkford, clearly and unequivocally makes a total mockery of many if not most of Rev. David O. Rankin's fine words and causes me, and no doubt other human beings. . . to seriously question whether UUs genuinely believe in these publicly professed principles and ideals. The 9th principle expressed in that UU tract expressly states -
9. We believe in the necessity of the democratic process. Records are open to scrutiny, elections are open to members, and ideas are open to criticism - so that people might govern themselves.
In accordance with that official UU principle I am making the UU "records" of the recent emails that I sent to UUA President William G. Sinkford open to scrutiny to all UUs, and anyone else who cares to read them. . . by posting them here and now to the Emerson Avenger blog. UUA President Bill Sinkford and any and all other UUs are most welcome to scrutinize these records, to say nothing of other UU "records" that the Emerson Avenger has previously posted to the internet, and then govern themselves accordingly. . .
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 16:14:13 -0500 (EST)
From: "Robin Edgar"
Subject: I need to speak with you ASAP. It is quite urgent.
To: wsinkford@uua.org, bsinkford@uua.org
CC: jshaw@uua.org
To: Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA USA
From: Robin Edgar
Montreal, Quebec,
Canada, World
Tel.: (514) 996-3937 January 10, 2006
Dear President Sinkford,
As you know from my previous email communication with you I had intended to write you a follow up email or two soon afterwards. A variety of factors, including your failure, or even your refusal, to acknowledge receipt of that email with a return email, caused me to hold off writing to you again in December 2005 or earlier this month.
I need to speak with you to sound you out about a few important matters, including one that goes well beyond the state of conflict that presently exists between me and Unitarian Universalist religious community due to its well documented failure, and even refusal, to practice genuine justice, equity and compassion in its human relations with me and indeed other human beings.
A personal meeting would be even better if at all possible. I want to propose some things to you in terms of resolving the conflict and also contributing very significantly to the Unitarian Universalist religious community but I feel that it is very important to be able to speak with you personally before committing anything to writing. I believe that speaking with you personally is in the best interest of everyone concerned and that includes not only you, the UUA, its Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal, but also the greater Unitarian Universalist religious community and many human beings who are outside of the UU religious community.
Please call me at (514) 996-3937 as soon as is *humanly* possible or provide me with some phone numbers where I may call you and times when it would be most convenient to do so.
I believe that it is in the best interests of the Unitarian Universalist religious community that you and other Unitarian Universalists return again towards me with a reasonable level of respect if not some genuine love and that you and other UUs enter into dialogue with me as soon as possible in order to promote genuine justice and thus genuine peace within the UU World but also in the rest of the world.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Text of previous email copied below -
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 15:50:12 -0500 (EST)
From: "Robin Edgar"
Subject: An Important Update About My "Obviously Deep Concerns"
To: wsinkford@uua.org
CC: bsinkford@uua.org
From: Robin Edgar
Tuesday December 6, 2005
Dear President Sinkford,
The following letter (copied below) was distributed to people entering and leaving the Unitarian Church of Montreal on Sunday December 4th, 2005. It will continue to be distributed for several more Sundays during my "alternative spiritual practice" of protesting against Unitarian Universalist injustices, abuses and hypocrisy in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal as I have been doing since the spring of 1998. The "annotated" version that you see copied below has been posted to various pertinent internet forums, including the UU Debate section of Beliefnet and it will be posted to others in the coming days and weeks. Although it is not directly addressed to you personally I expect you to clearly and unequivocally demonstrate and express your personal concern about the "obviously deep concerns" that I have expressed in this communication. These concerns are pretty much the same concerns that I brought to your attention soon after your election as President of the Unitarian Universalist Association. One additional concern that is not addressed in the letter is the culture of censorship that currently pervades and degrades the UU World and I expect you to address that issue as well in the near future.
Quite evidently and quite regrettably the UUA, its Ministerial Feelowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal failed or refused to live up to the second principle of UUism which calls for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. It goes without saying that this failure, or indeed refusal, of the Unitarian Church of Montreal and the greater Unitarian Universalist religious community to provie genuine justice in this matter clearly disregarded, and indeed violated, the first principle of UUIism which affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the third principle of UUism which calls for acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in UU congregations, and the sixth principle of UUism which calls upon UUs to affirm and promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. I would like to believe that "all" includes one Robin Edgar and I expect you to speak appropriate words and take responsible concrete actions to ensure that that goal is soon realized for me and indeed others, at least within the UU World.
You will be receiving one or two formal requests for your personal intervention in this long drawn out conflict soon however I want you to be aware of this recent more generally distributed communication before I send you any further letters.
I will ask you to acknowledge receipt of this communication in an email. I do not expect or require a detailed response. It is probably best if you wait until you receive my forthcoming communications before responding in any detail. If you should wish to speak to me personally you may call me at (514) 996-3937
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Here is the "annotated" internet version of my letter of December 4, 2005 -
From Robin Edgar
Sunday December 4, 2005
To whom it may concern,
Today marks the 5th anniversary of my false arrest in December 2000 on trumped up criminal charges brought against me by Montreal Unitarians. After a few of criminal court dates I was acquitted of these unwarranted criminal charges that were intended to completely censor and suppress my legitimate public protest. I am protesting against the failure and refusal of the Unitarian Universalist religious community to responsibly redress my own and other UUs' legitimate grievances about abusive clergy misconduct. I am also protesting against the antireligious prejudice and intolerance that deplorably pervades and degrades UUism. The abusive clergy misconduct that I was subjected to arose directly from the antireligious intolerance, indeed the outright bigotry and hostility, of a self-professed "Humanist" Unitarian Universalist minister. I have seen too much evidence of similar antireligious prejudice and hostility towards God believing people within contemporary UUism. Such antireligious prejudice and intolerance, even hostility and bigotry, betrays UUism's monotheistic heritage and makes some UU congregations far from "Welcoming" (and at times even less than "Safe") for God believing people in general and Christians in particular. These UU injustices and abuses make a complete mockery of the claimed principles and purposes of UUism, and other UU ideals and must be responsibly redressed by all UUs, including current UUA and CUC leadership.
My clergy misconduct complaints did not involve sexual misconduct however I am also concerned about the UUA's and MFC's past failure to responsibly redress complaints arising from sexual misconduct by UU ministers. The UUA's "official apology" to victims of clergy sexual misconduct admits that the UUA has "largely failed" the victims of clergy sexual misconduct. In May 2000 I protested the failure of both the UUA and its Ministerial Fellowship Committee to responsibly address clergy misconduct, sexual or otherwise, in front of the UUA's offices at 25 Beacon Street. I also protested at UUA and CUC AGMs. I am protesting on behalf of all the victims of abusive clergy misconduct committed by UU ministers and all other people who have suffered either insult or injury (or both) as a result of antireligious intolerance as well as other injustices and abuses committed by hypocritical UUs who willfully disregard and violate claimed UU principles and purposes. I have been protesting in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal on most Sundays since May 1998 because these remarkably hypocritical UUs have rejected or willfully ignored all of my letters of grievance and my subsequent public protests. Montreal UUs have repeatedly unjustly punished me for refusing to “accept" their unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate rejection of my grievances arising from their well documented injustices and abuses. I have been repeatedly verbally attacked by Montreal UUs and I have been threatened and physically assaulted on occasion as well. Montreal Unitarians attempted to criminalize my public protest and have repeatedly called the police even though my protest is legal. In doing so Montreal UUs have made a total mockery of their purported principles and purposes, and other claimed ideals.
During a private meeting with him, the purpose of which was to try to explain a profound revelatory experience that I had undergone in early 1992, former UCM minister Rev. Ray Drennan sarcastically mocked and ridiculed my religious beliefs by labeling them as "silliness and fantasy" amongst other derisive and insulting comments. Rev. Ray Drennan contemptuous dismissed my revelatory experience as "your psychotic experience" and angrily insisted that I was in immediate need of "professional help." As if these words were not insulting and damaging enough Rev. Drennan went on to label 'Creation Day' (an inter-religious celebration of Creation that was inspired by my revelatory experience) as "your cult." When I immediately challenged him to qualify what he meant by this damaging slur (which is the 21st century equivalent of labeling someone as a "witch" or "heretic") he replied, "I mean a manipulative and secretive religious group." Ironically, less than a month earlier, Rev. Ray Drennan and the Board of the Unitarian Church of Montreal had banned ‘Creation Day' from being celebrated in the "sanctuary" of the UCM during an "in camera" segment of the October Board meeting that was totally secretive cynical manipulation of the democratic process; even though ‘Creation Day' had been unanimously approved as an adult RE activity by the UCM's Religious Education committee. Rev. Drennan never retracted these demeaning and damaging allegations about me, nor did he ever issue an acceptable apology that clearly and unequivocally acknowledged the wrongfulness of his words and actions. Rev. Ray Drennan was never held accountable by the Unitarian Church of Montreal or the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I on the other hand have been repeatedly punished and attacked by UUs for refusing to “accept” these UU injustices and abuses. The Ministerial Fellowship Committee complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan by asserting that his demeaning and abusive misconduct, as I described it in more detailed letters of grievance, "seemed to us to be within the appropriate guidelines of ministerial leadership." When I wrote a letter protesting this ludicrous decision, Rev. Diane Miller responded by vaunting the "wisdom" of the MFC's decision to "close the file."
My grievances arising from the abusive clergy misconduct of Rev. Ray Drennan, and the subsequent negligent and unjustly punitive responses of the Unitarian Church of Montreal must finally be responded to by Unitarian Universalists in a manner that clearly lives up to both the letter and the spirit of UUism's Seven Principles, other UU ideals, and policies such as the Safe Congregations program. I also expect the UUA, the CUC, and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to hold all those who are most directly responsible for the negligent, incompetent, and complicit response to my serious grievances fully accountable for their reprehensible actions and indeed their clearly negligent inaction. Rev. Diane Miller and other members of the MFC's Executive who unjustly, inequitably, and uncompassionately rejected my serious grievances, who complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan’s clergy misconduct, and who have "largely failed" the various victims of sexual misconduct and abuse by UU ministers must face accountability for their own deplorable failures. Justice must finally be done for me and for others and I expect it to be seen to be done by the Unitarian Universalist community as a whole. Sincerely,Robin Edgar email – robinedgar59@yahoo.caGoogle and Google Groups searches on pertinent names and key words such as - "abusive clergy misconduct" will find pertinent posts in various inter-net forums that provide considerable additional information about these UU injustices. See also the UU Debate section of http://www.beliefnet.com. My new blog that is dedicated to exposing UU injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy is found at - http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com
End of recent email communications to UUA President William Sinkford aka Bill Sinkford
Herewith an historic UU "record" of an email that I, Robin Edgar, received from UUA President William Sinkford in the spring of 2002 -
Once upon a time in the UU World. . . Not so long ago. . .
From: William Sinkford
To: 'robinedgar1@netscape.net'
Cc: David Hubner
Sent: Thu, 9 May 2002 09:36:02 -0400
Subject:
Robin, thank you for writing and sharing your obviously deep concerns. The appropriate person to review your complaints is Rev. David Hubner, head of our Department of Ministry. I've asked him to review the file on this matter and respond to you directly.
In faith,
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: robinedgar1@netscape.net
To: wsinkford@uua.org
Sent: 5/2/02 6:03 PM
Robin Edgar
15 Lafleur apt. 11,
Verdun (Montreal) Quebec
Canada H4G 3C3
Rev. William Sinkford
President of the Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA May 1, 2002
Dear Rev. Sinkford,
Today marks the second anniversary of my public protest in front of 25 Beacon Street in early May 2000. I was protesting against the failure of the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee to responsibly redress my own and other UUs' legitimate grievances about abusive clergy misconduct. I was also protesting against the anti-religious intolerance and even outright bigotry that is quite pervasive within UUism since the clergy misconduct that I was subjected to arose directly from the religious intolerance, even anti-religious bigotry, of a UU minister. My case does not involve sexual misconduct however I am concerned about the MFC's past failure to responsibly redress other UUs' complaints about sexual misconduct by UU clergy. In fact, my protest was approved by members of UUs for Right Relations. Prior to picketing 25 Beacon Street I asked representatives from UUs for Right Relations if they felt that my public protest might be detrimental to their efforts and I was quite prepared to refrain from picketing 25 Beacon Street if they felt that this was the case. Their response, after discussion at a UUs for RR meeting, was that they had no objections to my public protest and felt that it might do some good . Some were already quite familiar with my ongoing protest in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal most Sundays since late May 1998, and some even wished that I could stay in Boston for a few days longer to publicly protest at a UUA Trustees meeting that was being held later that week.
My protest was pointedly ignored and arbitrarily dismissed by most UUA administrators. I did get a better response from some UUs visiting 25 Beacon Street but the fact remains that most UUA administrators willfully ignored my protest and pretended that it had no legitimacy whatsoever. Only one UUA administrator bothered to enter into dialogue with me. I believe it was John Weston. We did have a civil conversation, and he did seem genuinely concerned, however when I called him and various other UUA staff after returning to Montreal, it became abundantly clear that they had been instructed by top level UUA officials not to speak to me.
I had intended to contact you after giving you a few months to settle in as the new President of the UUA and to ask you to ensure that my serious grievances, particularly my formal complaints about the abusive clergy misconduct by Rev. Ray Drennan of the Unitarian Church of Montreal that the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee unjustly, inequitably, and uncompassionately rejected in the spring of 1996, are finally responded to by the UUA in a responsible manner that clearly lives up to both the letter and the spirit of the Seven Principles and other UUA policies, particularly the UUMA's Guidelines and Code of Professional Practice and indeed the new Safe Congregations program that you were closely involved with. Needless to say the tragic events of September 11th 2001 caused me to hold off for a while and to give you and the new UUA administration some more breathing space. In that I expect significant progress to be made in this matter by the UUA GA in June I feel that now is a good time to raise this matter, indeed it is rather overdue.
I regret that circumstances prevented me from contacting you earlier and giving you and the new UUA administration more time to deal with this matter before the UUA GA in June however you still have almost two months to make the significant progress that I seek. In my opinion this matter could be largely resolved within two months if the UUA, the MFC, and indeed the Unitarian Church of Montreal made a sincere effort to responsibly redress my serious grievances rather than willfully ignoring them, unjustly rejecting them, and even quite severely punishing me for refusing to accept the unjust, inequitable, and far from compassionate rejection of my legitimate grievances. I am now an "excommunicated" Unitarian as a result of this abuse.
Unless the Ministerial Fellowship Committee removed my original correspondence from Rev. Ray Drennan's file these letters should be available to you. You may not however have the significant amount of additional documentation that arose from the serious escalation of this situation due to the failure, indeed the willful refusal, of the MFC and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to responsibly redress my serious grievances which could have been largely redressed by a formal apology and retraction within the first year or two of this dispute. Due to the repeated punitive measures that I have been subjected to by UUs for refusing to accept their injustices and abuses, I now insist that Rev. Ray Drennan must be responsibly disciplined by both the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal for his demeaning and abusive behavior towards me (to say nothing of others) and the further harm that he has caused to me and to others by obstinately refusing to accept any responsibility for his harmful words and actions. I also expect the UUA and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to formally acknowledge the additional injustices and abuses that I have been subjected to as a result of their past refusals to responsibly redress my serious grievances. I expect genuine restorative justice in this matter.
I am formally asking you to ensure that my serious grievances are finally responsibly investigated and redressed by the UUA according to the latest UUA procedures. I expect to be provided with a UUA advocate. I not only expect genuine restorative justice to be done I expect it to be seen to be done by the UU religious community as a whole. In fact the upcoming UUA GA in Quebec City presents an opportunity to do just that if this dispute can be largely resolved by then. I believe that it can be if the UUA responds in a timely manner that is entirely consistent with UU principles and purposes. I am prepared to enter into dialogue with you personally indeed I would like to do so. I am confident that via civil dialogue you will soon discover that I have much to contribute to UUism and not just in terms of exposing injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy within the UU community although I will not abandon that role.
I am very concerned by the anti-religious intolerance that quite evidently pervades contemporary UUism thus making some, even many, UU congregations far from Welcoming and even rather less than Safe for God believing people in general and Christians in particular. Besides sharing my concerns about serious problems within contemporary UUism, I have plenty of other positive contributions to make, some being of considerable significance and value to the religious community as a whole.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
End of 2002 email
The Emerson Avenger hereby burns a very Unitarian question mark into the conscience of UUA President Bill Sinkford. . .
In faith Bill?
As in "bad faith" perhaps?
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
It is 11:20ish a.m. Monday January 23, 2006. I just got off the phone after a brief conversation with Julie Shaw, the new assistant to UUA President Rev. William G. Sinkford aka Bill Sinkford. My phone call was to inquire about some emails that I had sent to President Sinkford in the last month or so that had specifically requested that he enter into dialogue with me about what he once described as my "obviously deep concerns". . . I have not yet heard from President Bill Sinkford nor have I even received so much as an acknowledgement of receipt of the emails that I sent to him, even though I specifically requested an acknowledgement of receipt in those emails.
Julie Shaw was polite and professional and told me that, although she was very new to the job as UUA President Bill Sinkford's personal assistant, she had "processed" those emails to the best of her ability to do so. That indicates to me that UUA President Rev. William G. Sinkford almost certainly was aware of the emails that I had sent to his attention recently but willfully chose not to respond to them, even in terms of the minimal official acknowledgement of receipt that was requested in them.
I made it very clear to Julie Shaw that I expect UUA President Bill Sinkford to speak with me in person on the phone by the end of this week, and politely warned her that if he fails or refuses to to so that he will be open to more strong public criticism from yours truly. This recent Emerson Avenger post was but one warning shot across the bow of the U*U Ship of Fools that resulted from UUA President Sinkford's sincere ignorance of my earlier and friendlier email hailings. . .
Rev. David O. Rankin's little red tract titled 'What Do UUs Believe' is one of my favorite UU tracts. I strongly agree with the purported UU principles and ideals that are expressed in that UU tract even though, most regrettably, the well documented behavior of many of the UUs that I know, including that of UUA President Bill Sinkford, clearly and unequivocally makes a total mockery of many if not most of Rev. David O. Rankin's fine words and causes me, and no doubt other human beings. . . to seriously question whether UUs genuinely believe in these publicly professed principles and ideals. The 9th principle expressed in that UU tract expressly states -
9. We believe in the necessity of the democratic process. Records are open to scrutiny, elections are open to members, and ideas are open to criticism - so that people might govern themselves.
In accordance with that official UU principle I am making the UU "records" of the recent emails that I sent to UUA President William G. Sinkford open to scrutiny to all UUs, and anyone else who cares to read them. . . by posting them here and now to the Emerson Avenger blog. UUA President Bill Sinkford and any and all other UUs are most welcome to scrutinize these records, to say nothing of other UU "records" that the Emerson Avenger has previously posted to the internet, and then govern themselves accordingly. . .
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 16:14:13 -0500 (EST)
From: "Robin Edgar"
Subject: I need to speak with you ASAP. It is quite urgent.
To: wsinkford@uua.org, bsinkford@uua.org
CC: jshaw@uua.org
To: Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA USA
From: Robin Edgar
Montreal, Quebec,
Canada, World
Tel.: (514) 996-3937 January 10, 2006
Dear President Sinkford,
As you know from my previous email communication with you I had intended to write you a follow up email or two soon afterwards. A variety of factors, including your failure, or even your refusal, to acknowledge receipt of that email with a return email, caused me to hold off writing to you again in December 2005 or earlier this month.
I need to speak with you to sound you out about a few important matters, including one that goes well beyond the state of conflict that presently exists between me and Unitarian Universalist religious community due to its well documented failure, and even refusal, to practice genuine justice, equity and compassion in its human relations with me and indeed other human beings.
A personal meeting would be even better if at all possible. I want to propose some things to you in terms of resolving the conflict and also contributing very significantly to the Unitarian Universalist religious community but I feel that it is very important to be able to speak with you personally before committing anything to writing. I believe that speaking with you personally is in the best interest of everyone concerned and that includes not only you, the UUA, its Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal, but also the greater Unitarian Universalist religious community and many human beings who are outside of the UU religious community.
Please call me at (514) 996-3937 as soon as is *humanly* possible or provide me with some phone numbers where I may call you and times when it would be most convenient to do so.
I believe that it is in the best interests of the Unitarian Universalist religious community that you and other Unitarian Universalists return again towards me with a reasonable level of respect if not some genuine love and that you and other UUs enter into dialogue with me as soon as possible in order to promote genuine justice and thus genuine peace within the UU World but also in the rest of the world.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Text of previous email copied below -
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 15:50:12 -0500 (EST)
From: "Robin Edgar"
Subject: An Important Update About My "Obviously Deep Concerns"
To: wsinkford@uua.org
CC: bsinkford@uua.org
From: Robin Edgar
Tuesday December 6, 2005
Dear President Sinkford,
The following letter (copied below) was distributed to people entering and leaving the Unitarian Church of Montreal on Sunday December 4th, 2005. It will continue to be distributed for several more Sundays during my "alternative spiritual practice" of protesting against Unitarian Universalist injustices, abuses and hypocrisy in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal as I have been doing since the spring of 1998. The "annotated" version that you see copied below has been posted to various pertinent internet forums, including the UU Debate section of Beliefnet and it will be posted to others in the coming days and weeks. Although it is not directly addressed to you personally I expect you to clearly and unequivocally demonstrate and express your personal concern about the "obviously deep concerns" that I have expressed in this communication. These concerns are pretty much the same concerns that I brought to your attention soon after your election as President of the Unitarian Universalist Association. One additional concern that is not addressed in the letter is the culture of censorship that currently pervades and degrades the UU World and I expect you to address that issue as well in the near future.
Quite evidently and quite regrettably the UUA, its Ministerial Feelowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal failed or refused to live up to the second principle of UUism which calls for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. It goes without saying that this failure, or indeed refusal, of the Unitarian Church of Montreal and the greater Unitarian Universalist religious community to provie genuine justice in this matter clearly disregarded, and indeed violated, the first principle of UUIism which affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the third principle of UUism which calls for acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in UU congregations, and the sixth principle of UUism which calls upon UUs to affirm and promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. I would like to believe that "all" includes one Robin Edgar and I expect you to speak appropriate words and take responsible concrete actions to ensure that that goal is soon realized for me and indeed others, at least within the UU World.
You will be receiving one or two formal requests for your personal intervention in this long drawn out conflict soon however I want you to be aware of this recent more generally distributed communication before I send you any further letters.
I will ask you to acknowledge receipt of this communication in an email. I do not expect or require a detailed response. It is probably best if you wait until you receive my forthcoming communications before responding in any detail. If you should wish to speak to me personally you may call me at (514) 996-3937
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Here is the "annotated" internet version of my letter of December 4, 2005 -
From Robin Edgar
Sunday December 4, 2005
To whom it may concern,
Today marks the 5th anniversary of my false arrest in December 2000 on trumped up criminal charges brought against me by Montreal Unitarians. After a few of criminal court dates I was acquitted of these unwarranted criminal charges that were intended to completely censor and suppress my legitimate public protest. I am protesting against the failure and refusal of the Unitarian Universalist religious community to responsibly redress my own and other UUs' legitimate grievances about abusive clergy misconduct. I am also protesting against the antireligious prejudice and intolerance that deplorably pervades and degrades UUism. The abusive clergy misconduct that I was subjected to arose directly from the antireligious intolerance, indeed the outright bigotry and hostility, of a self-professed "Humanist" Unitarian Universalist minister. I have seen too much evidence of similar antireligious prejudice and hostility towards God believing people within contemporary UUism. Such antireligious prejudice and intolerance, even hostility and bigotry, betrays UUism's monotheistic heritage and makes some UU congregations far from "Welcoming" (and at times even less than "Safe") for God believing people in general and Christians in particular. These UU injustices and abuses make a complete mockery of the claimed principles and purposes of UUism, and other UU ideals and must be responsibly redressed by all UUs, including current UUA and CUC leadership.
My clergy misconduct complaints did not involve sexual misconduct however I am also concerned about the UUA's and MFC's past failure to responsibly redress complaints arising from sexual misconduct by UU ministers. The UUA's "official apology" to victims of clergy sexual misconduct admits that the UUA has "largely failed" the victims of clergy sexual misconduct. In May 2000 I protested the failure of both the UUA and its Ministerial Fellowship Committee to responsibly address clergy misconduct, sexual or otherwise, in front of the UUA's offices at 25 Beacon Street. I also protested at UUA and CUC AGMs. I am protesting on behalf of all the victims of abusive clergy misconduct committed by UU ministers and all other people who have suffered either insult or injury (or both) as a result of antireligious intolerance as well as other injustices and abuses committed by hypocritical UUs who willfully disregard and violate claimed UU principles and purposes. I have been protesting in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal on most Sundays since May 1998 because these remarkably hypocritical UUs have rejected or willfully ignored all of my letters of grievance and my subsequent public protests. Montreal UUs have repeatedly unjustly punished me for refusing to “accept" their unjust, inequitable and uncompassionate rejection of my grievances arising from their well documented injustices and abuses. I have been repeatedly verbally attacked by Montreal UUs and I have been threatened and physically assaulted on occasion as well. Montreal Unitarians attempted to criminalize my public protest and have repeatedly called the police even though my protest is legal. In doing so Montreal UUs have made a total mockery of their purported principles and purposes, and other claimed ideals.
During a private meeting with him, the purpose of which was to try to explain a profound revelatory experience that I had undergone in early 1992, former UCM minister Rev. Ray Drennan sarcastically mocked and ridiculed my religious beliefs by labeling them as "silliness and fantasy" amongst other derisive and insulting comments. Rev. Ray Drennan contemptuous dismissed my revelatory experience as "your psychotic experience" and angrily insisted that I was in immediate need of "professional help." As if these words were not insulting and damaging enough Rev. Drennan went on to label 'Creation Day' (an inter-religious celebration of Creation that was inspired by my revelatory experience) as "your cult." When I immediately challenged him to qualify what he meant by this damaging slur (which is the 21st century equivalent of labeling someone as a "witch" or "heretic") he replied, "I mean a manipulative and secretive religious group." Ironically, less than a month earlier, Rev. Ray Drennan and the Board of the Unitarian Church of Montreal had banned ‘Creation Day' from being celebrated in the "sanctuary" of the UCM during an "in camera" segment of the October Board meeting that was totally secretive cynical manipulation of the democratic process; even though ‘Creation Day' had been unanimously approved as an adult RE activity by the UCM's Religious Education committee. Rev. Drennan never retracted these demeaning and damaging allegations about me, nor did he ever issue an acceptable apology that clearly and unequivocally acknowledged the wrongfulness of his words and actions. Rev. Ray Drennan was never held accountable by the Unitarian Church of Montreal or the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I on the other hand have been repeatedly punished and attacked by UUs for refusing to “accept” these UU injustices and abuses. The Ministerial Fellowship Committee complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan by asserting that his demeaning and abusive misconduct, as I described it in more detailed letters of grievance, "seemed to us to be within the appropriate guidelines of ministerial leadership." When I wrote a letter protesting this ludicrous decision, Rev. Diane Miller responded by vaunting the "wisdom" of the MFC's decision to "close the file."
My grievances arising from the abusive clergy misconduct of Rev. Ray Drennan, and the subsequent negligent and unjustly punitive responses of the Unitarian Church of Montreal must finally be responded to by Unitarian Universalists in a manner that clearly lives up to both the letter and the spirit of UUism's Seven Principles, other UU ideals, and policies such as the Safe Congregations program. I also expect the UUA, the CUC, and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to hold all those who are most directly responsible for the negligent, incompetent, and complicit response to my serious grievances fully accountable for their reprehensible actions and indeed their clearly negligent inaction. Rev. Diane Miller and other members of the MFC's Executive who unjustly, inequitably, and uncompassionately rejected my serious grievances, who complicitly "whitewashed" Rev. Ray Drennan’s clergy misconduct, and who have "largely failed" the various victims of sexual misconduct and abuse by UU ministers must face accountability for their own deplorable failures. Justice must finally be done for me and for others and I expect it to be seen to be done by the Unitarian Universalist community as a whole. Sincerely,Robin Edgar email – robinedgar59@yahoo.caGoogle and Google Groups searches on pertinent names and key words such as - "abusive clergy misconduct" will find pertinent posts in various inter-net forums that provide considerable additional information about these UU injustices. See also the UU Debate section of http://www.beliefnet.com. My new blog that is dedicated to exposing UU injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy is found at - http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com
End of recent email communications to UUA President William Sinkford aka Bill Sinkford
Herewith an historic UU "record" of an email that I, Robin Edgar, received from UUA President William Sinkford in the spring of 2002 -
Once upon a time in the UU World. . . Not so long ago. . .
From: William Sinkford
To: 'robinedgar1@netscape.net'
Cc: David Hubner
Sent: Thu, 9 May 2002 09:36:02 -0400
Subject:
Robin, thank you for writing and sharing your obviously deep concerns. The appropriate person to review your complaints is Rev. David Hubner, head of our Department of Ministry. I've asked him to review the file on this matter and respond to you directly.
In faith,
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: robinedgar1@netscape.net
To: wsinkford@uua.org
Sent: 5/2/02 6:03 PM
Robin Edgar
15 Lafleur apt. 11,
Verdun (Montreal) Quebec
Canada H4G 3C3
Rev. William Sinkford
President of the Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA May 1, 2002
Dear Rev. Sinkford,
Today marks the second anniversary of my public protest in front of 25 Beacon Street in early May 2000. I was protesting against the failure of the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee to responsibly redress my own and other UUs' legitimate grievances about abusive clergy misconduct. I was also protesting against the anti-religious intolerance and even outright bigotry that is quite pervasive within UUism since the clergy misconduct that I was subjected to arose directly from the religious intolerance, even anti-religious bigotry, of a UU minister. My case does not involve sexual misconduct however I am concerned about the MFC's past failure to responsibly redress other UUs' complaints about sexual misconduct by UU clergy. In fact, my protest was approved by members of UUs for Right Relations. Prior to picketing 25 Beacon Street I asked representatives from UUs for Right Relations if they felt that my public protest might be detrimental to their efforts and I was quite prepared to refrain from picketing 25 Beacon Street if they felt that this was the case. Their response, after discussion at a UUs for RR meeting, was that they had no objections to my public protest and felt that it might do some good . Some were already quite familiar with my ongoing protest in front of the Unitarian Church of Montreal most Sundays since late May 1998, and some even wished that I could stay in Boston for a few days longer to publicly protest at a UUA Trustees meeting that was being held later that week.
My protest was pointedly ignored and arbitrarily dismissed by most UUA administrators. I did get a better response from some UUs visiting 25 Beacon Street but the fact remains that most UUA administrators willfully ignored my protest and pretended that it had no legitimacy whatsoever. Only one UUA administrator bothered to enter into dialogue with me. I believe it was John Weston. We did have a civil conversation, and he did seem genuinely concerned, however when I called him and various other UUA staff after returning to Montreal, it became abundantly clear that they had been instructed by top level UUA officials not to speak to me.
I had intended to contact you after giving you a few months to settle in as the new President of the UUA and to ask you to ensure that my serious grievances, particularly my formal complaints about the abusive clergy misconduct by Rev. Ray Drennan of the Unitarian Church of Montreal that the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee unjustly, inequitably, and uncompassionately rejected in the spring of 1996, are finally responded to by the UUA in a responsible manner that clearly lives up to both the letter and the spirit of the Seven Principles and other UUA policies, particularly the UUMA's Guidelines and Code of Professional Practice and indeed the new Safe Congregations program that you were closely involved with. Needless to say the tragic events of September 11th 2001 caused me to hold off for a while and to give you and the new UUA administration some more breathing space. In that I expect significant progress to be made in this matter by the UUA GA in June I feel that now is a good time to raise this matter, indeed it is rather overdue.
I regret that circumstances prevented me from contacting you earlier and giving you and the new UUA administration more time to deal with this matter before the UUA GA in June however you still have almost two months to make the significant progress that I seek. In my opinion this matter could be largely resolved within two months if the UUA, the MFC, and indeed the Unitarian Church of Montreal made a sincere effort to responsibly redress my serious grievances rather than willfully ignoring them, unjustly rejecting them, and even quite severely punishing me for refusing to accept the unjust, inequitable, and far from compassionate rejection of my legitimate grievances. I am now an "excommunicated" Unitarian as a result of this abuse.
Unless the Ministerial Fellowship Committee removed my original correspondence from Rev. Ray Drennan's file these letters should be available to you. You may not however have the significant amount of additional documentation that arose from the serious escalation of this situation due to the failure, indeed the willful refusal, of the MFC and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to responsibly redress my serious grievances which could have been largely redressed by a formal apology and retraction within the first year or two of this dispute. Due to the repeated punitive measures that I have been subjected to by UUs for refusing to accept their injustices and abuses, I now insist that Rev. Ray Drennan must be responsibly disciplined by both the UUA's Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Unitarian Church of Montreal for his demeaning and abusive behavior towards me (to say nothing of others) and the further harm that he has caused to me and to others by obstinately refusing to accept any responsibility for his harmful words and actions. I also expect the UUA and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to formally acknowledge the additional injustices and abuses that I have been subjected to as a result of their past refusals to responsibly redress my serious grievances. I expect genuine restorative justice in this matter.
I am formally asking you to ensure that my serious grievances are finally responsibly investigated and redressed by the UUA according to the latest UUA procedures. I expect to be provided with a UUA advocate. I not only expect genuine restorative justice to be done I expect it to be seen to be done by the UU religious community as a whole. In fact the upcoming UUA GA in Quebec City presents an opportunity to do just that if this dispute can be largely resolved by then. I believe that it can be if the UUA responds in a timely manner that is entirely consistent with UU principles and purposes. I am prepared to enter into dialogue with you personally indeed I would like to do so. I am confident that via civil dialogue you will soon discover that I have much to contribute to UUism and not just in terms of exposing injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy within the UU community although I will not abandon that role.
I am very concerned by the anti-religious intolerance that quite evidently pervades contemporary UUism thus making some, even many, UU congregations far from Welcoming and even rather less than Safe for God believing people in general and Christians in particular. Besides sharing my concerns about serious problems within contemporary UUism, I have plenty of other positive contributions to make, some being of considerable significance and value to the religious community as a whole.
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
End of 2002 email
The Emerson Avenger hereby burns a very Unitarian question mark into the conscience of UUA President Bill Sinkford. . .
In faith Bill?
As in "bad faith" perhaps?
Sincerely,
Robin Edgar
Comments
What are your goals?
Indrax here is my answer to your question in fairly general terms. The specifics of my goals are open to some negotiation once UUA President Bill Sinkford and other UUs in positions of influence and responsibility start practicing what they preach and genuinely treat me with somen respect and dignity, to say nothing of "begin again in love" with me. . . by responsibly opening their presently quite obstinately closed lines of communication. . . President Bill Sinkford is by no means the only UU to fail or more likely refuse to enter into dialogue with me in an effort to resolve the current state of conflict. Montreal Unitarians, including interim minister Rev. Peter Boulatta, have been repeatedly invited to enter into dialogue with me but, like President Sinkford, they have not even had the courtesy to acknowledge my emails and phone calls. . .
Herewith my "rambling" response to your question, "What are your goals?" -
Genuine restorative justice, genuine equity and genuine compassion for me and other people who have suffered insult or injury or both as a result of UU injustices, abuses and hypocrisy, especially on the part of UU clergy and other top level UU leaders. I expect a genuinely just resolution of the conflict I am involved in that started well over a decade ago, one that includes clear and unequivocal acknowledgment of the failure of the UUA, and its aptly named Ministerial Fellowship Committee. . . to respond in responsibility to my legitimate grievances when I first aired them in February of 1996.
I expect a formal apology from the UUA to be delivered to me by President Sinkford. I expect negligent MFC officials to face accountability. I expect the Rev. Ray Drennan and the Unitarian Church of Montreal to face "declarations of condemnation" as it were for their well documented flaunting of UU principles and ideals etc.
I also expect the UUA, under some genuine leadership by UUA President Bill Sinkford, to formally and publicly acknowledge the culture of censorship and suppression of criticism and dissent that currently pervades the UUA and the greater UU religious community and takes immediate steps to end all internal censorship and suppression of dissent so that UU propaganda about UUs being defenders of freedom of speech and civil liberties etc. is no longer just a lot of stunningly hypocritical U*U BS.
In short I expect the UUA and the greater UU religious community to seriously examine their apparently neglected and even atrophied consciences and responsibly deal with any and all UU injustices, abuses and hypocrisy etc. that need to be dealt with, especially those injustices and abuses that have been neglected or denied for years and even decades.
Needless to say I had wanted to be able to present my proposal for World Day of Conscience to UUA President Bill Sinkford in as positive a manner as possible, however his steadfast sincere ignorance and complicit silence in response to my recent emails and phone calls, as well as his now glaringly obvious hypocrisy in publicly proclaiming that "Unitarian Universalists have always honored our commitment to uphold civil liberties," when he knows perfectly well that this brazen assertion does not stand up to any serious scrutiny of how UUs have actually behaved towards me and other people in their pathological censorship and suppression of legitimate criticism and dissent, even to the extemely misguided attempts to criminalize my peaceful public protest. . . makes it difficult to impossible for me to do so.
I have been very patient with President Sinkford, more patient than I should have been, but my patience with him is pretty much at an end. If he continues to fail or refuse to respond in genuine responsibility to what he once quite correctly described as my "obviously deep concerns" about the diverse UU injustices, abuses and hypocrisy that I have brought to his and other UUs' attention, especially the anti-religious intolerance that still makes UU congregations far from genuinely welcoming to God believing people he will come to deeply regret it. By all rights he already should deeply regret his negligence because much of the criticism that I have posted to the internet in the last several years could have been avoided or at least considerably diminished if he had shown some leadership and taken steps to ensure that my "obviously deep concerns" were not blown off by the MFC and UUA Trustees in 2002, to say nothing of a year or two earlier since he was certainly made aware of my concerns about anti-religious intolerance an MFC negligence in response to abuive clergy misconduct of various kinds during his UUA Presidential election campaign against former MFC Director Rev. Diane Miller.